


Five Times Ronon Surprised Jennifer and the One time He Didn’t

by LadyoftheMire



Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 5 Times, F/M, Fluff, Ronon Dex is a fucking softy fight me, Surprises, it's been ten years and I'm still here shipping this, me back on my shipping bs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-10-19 14:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17603393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyoftheMire/pseuds/LadyoftheMire
Summary: Five Times and one more - Jennifer and Ronon Dex always seem to surprise each other





	1. Infirmary

 

     It was late in the infirmary, Jennifer often being left alone as she kept late hours as the technicians often clocked out before she had even taken a second look over her reports. Her constant insomnia also lent a hand in her keeping odd hours. Massaging her neck, Jennifer leaned back from her desk to close her eyes. A month she had been on the job. Nearly two months of confusion and adjustment, thrust into a position she hadn’t meant to ask for. The occasional off world kidnapping hadn’t really helped the transition period either.  
     Looking at her watch, she groaned at the late, or rather early, an hour. She set aside her files and slowly made her way through the infirmary turning off the lights as she went. Just as she moved to exit, the door opened and she nearly walked straight into Ronon Dex’s chest.  
     “Oh! Goodness,” She breathed trying to settle her heart as she stepped back. If she didn’t know better, she would have said it skipped a beat. “Good evening, Ronon.”  
     “Hey.” He didn’t move from his spot in the door, eyes carefully scanning her. She frowned.  
     “Can-can I help you with something?”  
     “Oh, yeah.” He pushed by and grunted as he pushed himself onto one of the beds. Pulling up his shirt he revealed a gash on his chest, surrounded by deep tissue bruising. Jennifer tried to keep a semblance of a poker face, but her face blanched as the wound. “Sheppard told me to come see you.”  
     “When did you get this?” She asked, quickly flipping on the lights and slipping on gloves.  
     “Few hours ago.”  
     “Why didn’t you come in sooner?” She carefully touched the skin surrounding the gash before pulling out a stitch kit. His eyes rolled as he saw it and she chose to ignore it, instead focusing on making sure everything was in place.  
     “Didn’t want a fuss.”  
     “You should fuss, left like this you know that is could get infected.” She said as she began to stitch his skin back together. She knew better than to offer a pain reliever. She was quiet as she focused, working quickly and efficiently. After two months she still was quite sure what to think of the man. A Runner, a Warrior, and one of the last of his kind she knew he was headstrong, determined, and almost the exact definition of “badass.” She also had noticed he had a sweet tooth and was oddly fascinated by the small human traits and despite all his “tough it out nature” seemed to enjoy the little things. Under her fingers, he flinched for a moment, muscles tensing.  
     “Sorry,” she muttered. “I’m almost done.”  
     “S’fine.” He replied, stilling himself. She finished and looked up at his face, eyes now closed as if he were meditating away whatever pain he was feeling. Carefully she cut away the stitch thread and laid a pad over it.  
     “Now, I know this may be hard, but please, please don’t rip the stitches.” She pulled down his shirt patted his side, in some odd habit from her bedside-manner training days. He cracked a smile at that and straightened fully.  
     “I’ll try my best.” He slid to standing, towering over the young doctor. She backed up and nodded, but her eyebrow was still furrowed with concern. She knew the risks he took. The team took, but him most of all.  
     “Promise?” He looked at her for a moment, observing her carefully, before again a large smile broke across his face.  
     “Yeah, Doc, I promise.” He patted her arm, awkwardly before heading to the door. “Thanks.”  
     Jennifer watched him go, stripping off her gloves as he went. She knew he was almost as loyal as he was stubborn, but she hoped, in this case, he’d put the stubbornness aside to keep a promise.


	2. Running

     Jennifer hated this part of the job, mostly because it wasn’t really in her job description. Running at breakneck speed through a forest with glitchy coms, that kind of thing. Not really in the job description she had signed on for.  
Her breath hitched as she ran, even in her best shape a full sprint was not exactly a fun time. The bag’s straps were cutting into her hand and she finally dived to the left letting her back slam against the trunk of a tree. She gasped and let her eyes close as she listened for the sound of movement behind her. Far off, she could hear gunfire. Tapping her com, Jennifer prayed the interference would end if only for a few moments.  
     “Doctor Jennifer Keller, 1-2-1-2, can you hear me?” She panted. “Can anyone hear me?” She was met by the deafening sound of static. “Fuck.”  
Behind her brush began to shudder and she heard calls. It was time to start running again. As long as she was headed north, she could get back to the gate in time. Maybe.  
     Her clothes tore against the underbrush and she felt the sting of what she could surmise were some thorns. She almost fell, stress on the almost. She could hear the voices behind her of angry, if not absolutely bloodthirsty Fir’Tahns. They didn’t exactly enjoy interference. It seemed her not only tending for but trying to liberate the few of their underclass, left on the rim of society, had really really pissed off the locals.  
     As she ran she pressed her com again.  
     “Please, anyone, this is Doctor Keller. I am headed for the Stargate, if anyone is out there please answer me!” Broken words made it to her in a somewhat familiar voice and she hoped maybe she had a chance of making it again.  
     Finally, she burst from the underbrush and screamed as her momentum almost led her face-first over a jagged tear in the land. It would have been a hard fall. A thick arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her from the edge. She gasped and gripped onto the arm, stifling another scream. She looked up into the eyes of Ronon Dex.  
     “Hi.”  
     “Hi,” she smiled, almost laughing at his absolute cool in the face of constant near death. His eyes held a mix of amusement and fading worry. Behind her in the woods, a chant began, still muffled but closing in.  
     “We should probably get moving.” He nodded, the Stargate behind him twisting with light as it began to activate.  
     “Agreed.”  
     The waiting soldiers looked between them and the forest. Ronon waved them on and quickly they retreated back to Atlantis. Arm still around her, they began to run, his momentum carrying her as they headed straight toward the event horizon.   
     “Should we call -”  
     “No time,” he grunted, pulling her forward through the Gate in one fluid movement.  
     They landed on the ramp, hard, slamming on to the metal together. Voices shouted asking if they were okay and needed anything. Rolling onto her back and off Ronon’s arm.  
     “Ow.” She said quietly, waving away cautious hands. She stood, shaking herself off before offering her hand to Ronon. “You good?”  
     “Yeah, Doc.” He grinned up at her before taking her hand and standing. Inches away from her face he smiled, tilting his head as his eyes crinkled. She felt her stomach turn over in a way it hadn’t for a good long while. He reached out and slowly picked a leaf from her tangled hair, looking at it before letting it fall to the floor. “All good.”


	3. Patience

         Marie raised her eyebrow as around the thermometer, Dr. Keller tried to talk her way out of what was absolutely obvious. She sat in her office chair, nose red and leaking, eyes bloodshot and weary.  
         “You have are sick, Keller,” Marie laughed, taking the thermometer as it beeped simply. “Your temperature is 100 Fahrenheit and you need rest.” The nurse said simply, pressing a bottle of what essentially boiled down to Nyquil, into her hand.  
         “No, I swear, just a bit tired. And Hot. And dead inside,” she conceded quietly. “I can keep working I swear, just close the office door and I’ll be fine.”  
         “She fighting you?” McKay said as he walked into the infirmary, covering his own mouth with his shirt. “Go to your quarters, Keller. Don’t give the rest of us poor humans the plague.”  
         Jennifer sighed, exasperated and stood slowly. It felt like her bones grating against each other and her skin, admittedly, felt like it was on fire, oversensitive to her uniforms material. She raised her hands in defeat.  
         “Fine, but video-link me in when I get back to my room.” She said blearily, taking the medicine and heading from the infirmary. After passing through the canteen to grab sustenance, Jennifer reached her quarters and collapsed onto her bed heavily. She hated being sick, worse she hated being sick and unable to push through and get shit done.              The worst feeling in the world was being a Doctor, knowing what was the best fix but hating the method. A knock at the door made her groan and she turned her head slightly.  
         “I am resting, I swear.”  
         “It is me, Jennifer,” Teyla’s laughing voice came through the door and made her smiled into her hands.  
         “It’s open, though you probably don’t want to come in.” The door opened and Teyla walked in warily, before seeing the sick doctor lying on her bed in a heap.  
         “Thank you for the concern, but the common flu of the Tau'ri does not pass to my kind.” She sat on the end of Jennifer’s bed and she turned over to face her friend.  “Goodness...you look terrible.”  
       “Wow, thanks for sugar coating it, Teyla.” Jennifer snorted, pulling herself up. “I’ve been ordered to rest.”  
       “I am guessing you are going to do what you can from here...despite orders.”  
       “I can’t just sit here and do nothing, Teyla.”  
       “You would not be doing nothing, you would be healing.” Her friend said gently. “Even the chief of medical needs a, as you call it, sick day. Or days.”  
Jennifer knew she was right, but she hated to admit it.  
       “Thanks for checking up on me, but maybe I should try and sleep...at least for now.”  
Teyla nodded and stood, smiling as Jennifer slowly slumped back into her bed.  
       “I will come by later to bring you food.” She said gently. But despite her protests, Jennifer was already half asleep. Teyla left the room quietly, letting the door swish closed behind her.

       Jennifer woke up in a hot sweat. Everything felt like it was burning her and she groaned, standing and shifting off her clothes to reach her shower. She turned on the cold water and despite a small shriek at the cold, stepped in. Thankfully it actually helped and she sighed as the fans dried her off. Stepping out she slipped into a large t-shirt and underwear before sliding back into her bed. From her sitting position, she grabbed a tablet and brought up the latest data logged from the infirmary. Everything looked to be clear sailing but she couldn’t help but check in. She sent a request to video conference and Marie quickly picked up.  
       “That’s a record for you, Keller.” Marie smiled up at her, adjusting the screen so Jennifer could see most of the infirmary. “Almost three hours.”  
       “Thanks, Marie.” She sniffed, brushing her hair out of her face. “How goes it.”  
       “Pretty good, slow today thankfully.” From behind her, a looming figure appeared into view and Marie turned to grip Ronon Dex, who was holding gauze to a cut in his arm.       “Of course your favorite patient couldn’t take a day off from sparring.”  
       “Hey, Doc.” Ronon smiled as he sat in front of Marie who began dressing his wound.  
“How you holding up?”  
       “Does everyone in the city know I’m sick?”  
        “Nearly."  
       “Marie, the number five needle works better with the stitching thread than the number four.” Marie nodded placatingly at Jennifer as she began to work.  
       “Never take a break, do you?” Ronon grunted, his eyes staring her down through the camera.  
       “Neither do you,” she coughed, trying to come off as teasing through her drowsiness. He nodded at that and looked down at his arm.  
       “Jennifer, we really are fine here” Assured Marie.” Get rest. I believe McKay said that was an order.”  
       “Fine,” she grumbled. “Signing off.”  
       “Sleep good, Doc.” Ronon’s deep was the last thing she heard as the screen blinked out.  
   

   She tried to relax, but even sick it was hard for her. She normally had insomnia and now with difficulty breathing and her head spinning with disaster scenarios, she tossed and turned as she attempted to sleep. When she woke up again she was now freezing and unsure of the time, there was a quiet knock of the door. Her clock read 22:34. She assumed it was Teyla, bringing her a late meal.  
       “Come in!” She called. She was surprised when the door opened and instead of Teyla, Ronon walked in tentatively carrying a few containers. She was suddenly very aware that she was barely clothed and probably an absolute mess. “Oh, I thought that you were Teyla.”  
“       I’m not,” he said simply raising the lights a bit to set down the containers on the room's desk.  
       “Well, yes, I can see that.”  
       “I asked if I could help out and she said to get you some food. Said you probably wouldn’t want to eat but I should come anyway. Sorry it’s late - lost track of time.”  
       “Oh, thank you.” She mumbled. She knew the warrior wasn’t as intimidating as he always seemed to come off, but this kind of care was something she wasn’t used to. He looked awkward, standing in the middle of the room so she pulled up her legs and motioned that he could sit. He did, tentatively and looked around. Her quarters were comfortable but pretty sparse. There were pictures of home, the team, a few succulents in the window looking out over the city, and a quilt clearly made with love, but it was still a pretty uniform.  
       “What, uh, what did you bring me?”  
       “Right - some rice, steamed Ch’trah root, trust me good for illness, and uh something Sheppard told me to bring - crackers and chicken noodle soup?” He said, holding out a sloshing container. Her face lit up and bit and she took the container and spoon offered happily.  
       “That’s perfect, thank you.” Without thought she began to eat, not realizing how hungry she was until it was right in front of her.  
       “Would you say it’s what the Doctor Ordered?” With noodles hanging out of her mouth she stared up at his straight face. It broke into a smirk and she nearly choked on her mouthful. He was joking with her. Something she was pretty sure he had done maybe once before in their six-month acquaintance.  
       “Sorry,” he laughed as she fell into another coughing fit.  
       “No, really that was funny.” She laughed “I mean it was terrible but funny.”  
       He grinned and stood.  
       “I should get going.”  
       “Okay,” she said, feeling her body flash red for a moment as he looked at her with some kind of softness? As he reached the door she finally pulled herself together enough to say: “Thank you Ronon, really. This is…really nice.”  
He flashed her one more smile before the door closed behind him.  
       “Anytime, Doc.”


	4. Birthday

     He didn’t do birthdays, not in the way Tau’ri did. Cake and odd parties with odd paper strips in the air. Honestly, the whole celebration was overwhelmingly confusing to him. They were so fascinated with sun cycles. But hey, he didn’t mind the food so much.  
     When McKay started planning Keller’s with Teyla, over cafeteria food and hot coffee, he tolerated it as long as he could. As they reached the discussion of where, Ronon stood, downing his coffee he looked between them.  
     “Gotta go. Training.” He said simply.  
     “Okay, see you later,” McKay said dismissively. “I think that weird hall of K-24 would work.” Ronon stopped for some reason, and before he could stop himself said:  
     “You should check out the viewing room on level 12.”  
     “Why? That is one of the lowest levels?” Teyla called as he walked away.  
     “Just check it out.”  
     He didn’t really know why he said it. Didn’t know why he thought the one other place besides his bunk he could be alone in, would make a good space for Jennifer’s party. The huge relaxing windows that looked out under the water swirled with swimming figures of the unknown ocean. It was pretty, well, amazing. He turned the corner and shook himself as we walked, tying back his hair as he walked. He had shit todo. Didn’t need to sign onto a party planning committee.

     “Why do you all do this?” Ronon asked as he circled Sheppard, body tensed for attack. Sheppard frowned as he moved.  
     “What? Are you trying to distract me, that’s not going to work.”  
     “No - I’m not trying to - Birthdays. Why are all of you so obsessed with them?” Ronon asked, sending a false punch at John’s head before sweeping his leg out in a fast movement. John landed on his back with a hard impact and groaned.  
     “Jesus, uh, it’s our obsession with our own mortality. Aging out of things, into others, we’re big on changing without changing.” He said standing and resuming a defensive position.  
     “What?” Ronon shook his head and aimed again, before lunging again. John jumped and dodged, getting his own strike in.  
     “We like food, we like to drink, and we like both to help us forget that we could die at any second.” Sheppard panted, rolling over the mat to evade another strike.  
     “Okay, see that. I can understand. Just don’t get why you have to dress it up.” Ronon laughed as he swiftly landed a blow.  
     “Some people hate it some people love it. Personally, I just like the bourbon and cash I get every year as a reward for surviving.” Sheppard gasped trying to catch his breath as the air left his body in a sharp movement. “You asking all of this cause of Keller?”  
     “No,” Ronon grunted, trying to be dismissive. “Maybe. Just thought Leyla and Rodney were going a little over the top.”  
     “It’s cause it’s her first full year here. Want to make it a good one, home away from home.” John said, landing a few before having to jump back quickly. “She’s kind of a small town genius, from the middle of Wisconsin, might as well try to be a bit more...Earth-y for her day.”  
     “Yeah,” Ronon grunted, finally pulling Sheppard into a headlock that was just loose enough he didn’t black out on the spot. “Makes sense.”

     Coming back from a re-supply run, Ronon stopped through the Stargate covered in rain, mud, and a few cuts. Colonel Carter greeted him and the team with a nod as they came through and he stopped in front of her to hand the bag to the waiting science division.  
     “Ronon, good job out there. I know this wasn’t your first choice of a run, so to speak.”  
     “Sure.”  
     “Why don’t you clean up and we can debrief?”  
She left and in a moment Jennifer Keller appeared by his side as he started toward his quarters.  
     “Hi, how are you?” She asked, jogging to keep up with him.  
     “Good.”  
     “Great! But, I noticed you’re a bit cut up. I was hoping you could drop by the infirmary for a moment so we can sanitize this.”  
     “Don’t have time,” He said, giving her a side smile. “Got to meet up with the boss in a moment.”  
     “We talked about the waiting thing.”  
     “No, you talked about the waiting thing, and I listened.” He said. She stopped for a moment. He wasn’t technically wrong. She caught up once more as they turned a corner, reaching his quarters.  
     “Okay, but seriously after the meeting, you need to come to see me.” He opened his door and turned into his room, Keller following him on autopilot.  
     “Sure.” He stood, waiting for her to leave.  
     “Gonna need more than that. You can’t run off with Sheppard somewhere and hide.” It seemed she wasn’t going to leave until he said it. He knew she was just doing her job but he huffed. He was starting to stink from the mud caking him. Frustrated, he pulled off his shirt and threw it to a corner. He couldn’t help but smirk as her face seemed to freeze.  
     “Fine, yeah, I’ll come by after talking to Carter. Promise, okay?” She shook her head and very purposefully made eye contact with him.  
     “Good. Yes. Okay sounds good.”  
     “Okay.”  
     “Yep.” Flustered, she spun around, closing the door behind her.

     Carter’s office was an oddly calm space, despite the massive amounts of trouble it seemed to attract over the years. Ronon entered with a knock on the door. Carter looked up with a smile.  
     “Ronon, thank you, come in.” He sat before her desk. “Thank you for taking point on this run. A resupply may seem boring but we all know how things always seem to go sideways. I thought your skill would do well in the situation.”  
     “Course.” He said simply. He never understood why debriefs were always so necessary. There was going to be a report regardless. They had succeeded, survived, that was all that was important.  
     “You retrieved the package and we’re working now to load it appropriately.” He nodded his understanding and Carter smiled, knowing his response was not rude but simply part of his...straight forward nature. “Any pertinent information I should be adding to the report?”  
     “Started the run, chased by the Chart’has. Had to fight them. Finished fighting them. Got the package to the base. That was about it.”  
     “No, new technology?”  
     “No, just seems they’ve memorized our schedule.”  
     “Good to know, we’ll try and work another rotation.” She sighed and stood. He followed suit. “You should get to the infirmary before Keller has a fit.”  
     “Yeah.” He started for the door before having a thought. Awkwardly he turned to Carter who held the door.  
     “Yes? Dex?”  
     “I-Keller-well, her birthday’s coming up and everyone seems to be planning something. What exactly are you supposed to do for people on birthdays?” Carter’s face was shocked for a moment before she smiled at the hulking man in her doorway. She remembered Teal’c’s own confusion at the holiday. His first clumsily wrapped gift for Jackson on his birthday.  
     “Gifts, usually. A surprise wrapped in a bow. They don’t have to be big. Usually something meaningful between the, uh, gifter and giftee.” Slowly he nodded and left with a small,  
     “Thanks.”

     “Happy Birthday to you!” The crew of science and command staff sang as Jennifer Keller stood blushing in the front of the room. She laughed and smiled as they finished singing, Teyla and Sheppard hugging her before the rest of the crowd swooped in each to give her a handshake or hug. Champagne was passed around. The bubbles made her feel shiny and happy. Carter and McKay brought out a simple cake and Jennifer couldn’t help but smile at the clumsy icing outline of Atlantis on the cake.  
     The spot they had found for the party was beautiful, bringing her to level 12 had been a bit of a turnaround. However, walking into the room she had been amazed, it was a ballroom with huge windows that looked out from beneath the Atlantean sea, preserved in the cities design. After all the travels it had been through it was still full of life, dolphins, sharks, schools of fish and electric purple jellyfish.  
     It was absolutely stunning.  
     “Thank you, guys, really,” Keller said to McKay and Teyla as she took a sip of her champagne. “This is too much.”  
     “Well, the food and drink is a bare minimum we could afford.” McKay snorted as he downed a third of his own drink. “But the setting, settings all him.” He pointed to the corner of one of the great windows where Ronon leaned against a pillar, looking out into the ocean.  
     “I should-” Keller started. McKay looked like he was about to protest but Teyla gripped his arm for some reason. He huffed and downed what was left of his drink.  
     “Yes, Jennifer. Of course.” Teyla said. Jennifer walked across the hall, nodding hello’s and thank you’s, until he reached the warrior.  
     “Hi!” she said brightly.  
     “Hey,” he straightened. He awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Uh, happy birthday.”  
     “Thank you so much.” She smiled up at him, still feeling shiny. Before she could say what for specifically, Ronon pulled out a small package wrapped in pink.  
     “I, uh, was told gifts were a thing.”  
     “Oh! Wow!” She laughed, surprised, handing him her drink so she could take the package. She unwrapped it carefully inside was a beautiful shell. Pale, powder blue on the outside and a smooth, silk like shine on the inside that reflected rainbow under the light.  
     “It’s, uh, a good luck charm. Maybe counteract your, uh, curse of getting kidnapped.”  
Jennifer smiled down at it, turning it over in her hands.  
     “Ronon…”  
     “I mean if you don’t want it-” He said gruffly stepping forward.  
     “No! Hey, no take backs,” She laughed taking a step back as she looked up at him. “I love it. Really, this is perfect.” She looked around her, at her friends and colleagues and the huge windows to the underside of a whole other world. “All of this is perfect.”  
Spontaneously, Jennifer hugged him, standing on tiptoes to wrap her arms around him, if only for a moment. She pulled away and for a moment they stared into each other's eyes, some mix of tension and the shine of the evening caught between them.  
     “Keller! Come get a piece of your own cake before it’s gone!” Sheppard called from across the room. She turned and waved.  
     “Coming!” Awkwardly took her drink back, slipping his gift into her pocket, before smiling at him one last time. “I’ll see you later.”  
     “Yeah, I’ll see you.” He said quietly in return as she disappeared back into the crowd of people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those who messaged/commented you have no idea how encouraging that is! This is currently my escape from some seriously frustrating homework.
> 
> Hopefully will update....within the next few weeks.


	5. Temporary Home

      Jennifer looked down at the order before her on the tablet. A cocktail of emotion swirled in her stomach as she read the words again and again. Standing in the infirmary, essentially her home for the last four years, she wasn’t sure what to say.  
      “You did it,” McKay laughed as he patted the messenger, Sheppard, on the back. “Jen, this is amazing - this is amazing right?”  
      “I-I-thank you. This promotion is an honor.” She stammered, a smile spreading across her face as Rodney hugged her tightly, kissing her on the head, and Teyla smiled at the two. She was happy for her friend, but she knew how hard this kind of change could be. “Wow, a new base in San Diego, this is amazing.”  
      “Completely based in the medical study of human and alien biology.” Sheppard nodded. “I thought, who else could do this justice but our best.”  
Pagers ringing, McKay and Sheppard left the two women in the infirmary as he disappeared off to solve some crisis. Teyla watched Jennifer as she sank onto the stool at her desk. The doctor ran her hands through her hair for a moment, the cogs in her mind clearly over-functioning.  
      “Are you sure you want this?” Teyla asked quietly, leaning on the office doors edge. “The promotion...I thought this would be a good thing. Good news?”  
      “No, really it is, I’m just processing. I love it here, but you’re right, this is big and something that I’ve always wanted to do. To study, to discover.” She looked at her friend with a dazed smile. “I think - I think I’m going to take it, I want to take it. I think this is...a good change?”  
      “Good change.” Jennifer stood and hugged Teyla, smiling again as she thought of a now unsure and focused future. “You’re going to be more than amazing.”

      Every day counting down got harder and everything she did, every time a routine is broken or repeated reminded her of what she would miss. She would miss breakfast in the caf with Rodney, Sheppard, Teyla and occasionally Ronon. She would miss check-in and resupply with an ever cheerful Marie. She would miss Carson’s sarcasm and even the impending sense of crisis that always followed the sentence, “Today looks like it’s going to be a quiet one.”  
Jennifer was going to miss the ocean not only being close but above and around, full of life they protected and loved. She spent hours in the observation hall, watching schools of fish swirl by and the occasional shark bump at the glass.  
      But she was also excited, excited for her own lab and resources, the time to look into anything and everything without the wailing sirens warning doom or destruction. The time for tests and investigations into work that could change the face of science. She felt love for Rodney for his support through everything and his understanding that their relationship was about to be tested by lightyears of space. She loved Teyla for encouraging her to do what she needed and the entire team for not showing any signs of resentment.  
      Sometimes she felt guilty for knowing she wouldn’t miss the jumps through space or the constant fear that they would be discovered. That she may someday be unable to save her friends.  
Jennifer Keller felt guilty that she was ready to leave.

      Packing up was easy, Jennifer had always had a knack of carrying only what she needed from Med School to Atlantis. Her dad was so proud of the promotion he was going to meet her at the army base that as far as he knew she had been working at. After a month of prepping her replacement and getting ready for her first return to Earth in three years, the day had come where she finally had to take the next step forward.  
      Saying Goodbye was always the hard part.  
      As the gate dialed home, Jennifer set her bags down and turned to her team standing behind her. Rodney would accompany her to the other side and Colonel Carter would meet her at the base to make sure the transfer ran smooth, but for all she knew this could be the last time in a while, she would see Teyla, Sheppard, Carson, Marie, and Colonel Picardo. She sucked in a breath and stood straighter - reminding herself not to cry or do anything near crying, as she looked over the team. Each had said words of pride and encouragement.  
      She tried to ignore the absence of Ronon as she said goodbye to the team. Their relationship had been different from the day she and Rodney had chosen each other almost two years ago, but in the last few months his absence from the infirmary to every day like had become prominent. She hadn’t felt like she had had the time to tell him how much she appreciated his friendship. Or how the shell he’d given her never left her uniform’s pocket. Behind her the wormhole settled into the gate, indicating it was time.  
      “Thank you so much,” she nodded at her friends, “This has certainly an adventure. You all have changed my life. Don’t die, okay?” Laughs echoed through the hall.  
      “We’ll miss you, Keller,” Sheppard coughed, awkwardly shifting in place. Jennifer smiled. He always was bad at hiding his soft side.  
      “Time to go,” One of the soldiers said behind her. Nodding, and grabbed a bag, taking Rodney’s hand as they stepped toward the gate. She took one last look behind her and tried to ignore the leap her heart gave. On the balcony above the gate room, Ronon had appeared, leaning against the rail. She held his eyes for a moment for probably the last time. He nodded slowly and she smiled up at him, lifting her hand to give a small wave.  
      A last goodbye to Atlantis and the last time he would surprise her.  
      Jennifer Keller turned and stepped through the Gate, the breath ripped from her lungs for a moment before her other foot landed solidly back on Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiii, sorry it's so short but the next one is probably going to get out of hand, lengthwise.  
> Hope you enjoy - updates to come.


	6. Drinks are on her

     Ronon Dex was still getting used to Tau'ri customs. Two weeks, two weeks in the Florida Keys searching for a loosed hybrid from a containment transfer with Sheppard, Teyla, and Colonel Sam Carter. Keeping their eyes peeled on the swamps and local wildlife, Ronon also had to adjust to the thick humidity, giant snapping alligators, and little human colloquialisms. After a long day searching and tracking days old prints, the four changed to plain clothes and relaxed into the hot July night at the local bar, the Outpost. Comfortable in their own skin, Sam and Sheppard shared shots and started pool while Teyla, still in her comfort zone, smiled as she learned as she talked to both friends and strangers.  
     Ronon occasionally joined in but after a long day, he watched pulling at the cotton t-shirt clinging to his skin and shifting in the unfamiliar denim pants. He missed his own clothes, but he had assumed sticking out wouldn’t exactly have helped their cause. He watched his friends and teammates play in the dim bars light. The team had continued to shift over the years, Carter leaving and then Keller followed by McKay. Though Carter visited on times like these when her experience was desperately needed. They had gained new teammates and lost them. After five years in Atlantis proper and two in their developing diplomatic and resource-based field missions, Ronon finally felt he had a feel for those who were one foot in and one foot out, and who were all in. But no matter who, the one thing he couldn’t say was they didn’t have his back and keep it light when it felt like searching for a needle in, well, a swamp.  
     From the pool table, Sheppard waved over Ronon wanting him to play and he smiled, raising his beer to him in a clear thanks-but-no-thanks. Teyla laughed and returned to the bar to get them another round.  
     “Come on, Dex!” Sheppard laughed rolling his eyes. “Might as well have fun while we wait.”  
     “Wait for what, the Kranoa to come to us?” He returned.  
     “No, as we wait for the backup.” Teyla picked up a pitcher and smiled at him in a way he wasn’t sure if he liked. If he didn’t know her better he would say it was mischievous.  
     “What backup? Thought Carter was our backup.”  
     “Sheppard said she wanted it to be a surprise.” She laughed leaving Ronon confused. The jukebox blasting and drinks rolling, he decided to go with whatever weird plan Sheppard had for the night. He joined them for a game but was soon kicked out when he proved too adept. Instead, he laughed on the sidelines as Carter destroyed Sheppard and Teyla easily, half dancing to the rumbling music. After a few hours, he had nearly forgotten the surprise.  
     “Now, who let Carter get ahold of a pool stick?” A familiar voice laughed. Turning Teyla, Johnson, and Carter chorused, “Jennifer!” at the petite woman with short honey blond hair, standing in a tank top and ripped, faded jeans. In two years she looked completely different but still deeply familiar. He didn’t notice he had stood up straighter from against the pool table until Sheppard was smirking at him from the corner of his eye.  
     “Hey, looks like I got here just in time. Hard at work?”  
     “We wanted to give you a welcoming party, is that so wrong?” Teyla pulled her friend into a close hug and smiled wide. Each greeted her happily before Ronon, while he tried to figure out what the hell to say. In the years since she left, he had tried to maybe not forget her but move on. It had been hard enough watching her leave and watching her leave with Rodney, despite both of them being friends. She had been the first person he’d cared about like that in a long while. Someone who made him feel safe and open, who wasn’t afraid or intimidated. He had adjusted to her being there and just as quick, to her gone.  
     “Hi, Ronon.” She smiled up at him and everything he was trying to think of left. So instead he smiled back and pulled her into an awkward hug.  
     “Hey, Doc. Good to see you.”  
     After getting her a drink the two of them sat, watching their friend continue to play at the worn felt table. She looked at him over her beer, eyes skating over him and he tried to remember if this was the same face she had when reading a book.  
     “You look different.” She said between sips. “Your hair.”  
     “Oh, yeah,” reflexively he ran a hand through his now loose hair, curling at above his shoulders. “Bout a year ago had a bit of a rough fight. There was... fire, so I kind of had to get a cut.”  
     “Looks good.”  
     “Thanks. Uh, yours too.” She laughed, tapping his beer with hers.  
     “Been a while, guess we’re both different.” She stood and walked to the bar. He couldn’t help but watch her.  
     “Surprise backup huh?” He said to Sheppard without looking.  
     “Well, we know you just love surprises. Thought we’d give you a jolt.” Sheppard hit his mark and sunk a ball.  
     “Carter, she with you? In for the trip?”  
     “Not sure yet. She’s been freelance with her division for nearly a year.” Teyla replied this time. “More time to travel after the breakaway.”  
     “Break up,” Carter corrected as her own Q ball sunk two. At the bar, Jennifer ordered water and seemed to be answering some friendly questions from the bartender. “That happens when two people who live for the job have to follow the job in opposite directions.”  
     John hit his mark, finally, and tried to casually shoot a glance at Ronon. They hadn’t really talked about Jennifer since her leaving Atlantis, in fact, Sheppard had actively avoided bringing her up after he got deep bruises during a sparring session where he had tried to get Ronon to open up about her leaving. The most he had done was get hurt less and chime in every once in a while Teyla and Sheppard mentioned communicating with her. After all, Ronon had been gracious when McKay and she had started dating and back away long before the two had left the base.  
But watching the man across the room, leaning against the wall with a beer looking like a surfing magazine centerfold, John couldn’t help but notice the micro expressions of what looked like surprise and happiness flickered across Ronon’s face. Jennifer returned to stand next to Ronon.  
     “What are we talkin’ about?”  
     “Work stuff,” Ronon grunted, shifting slightly bumping into Jennifer, making her smile as she swayed from the nudge. If John wasn’t going crazy he was pretty sure he had just seen Ronon Dex flirt. At the other end of the pool table, Carter's phone buzzed and looking at the message she straightened.  
     “Speaking of, we’ve had another cite. Back to it people.” Setting down her stick as the group set aside the drinks aside. As they left the bar behind, she smiled at her old friend as they entered the sticky night, surrounded by the hum of crickets. “Looks like you arrived just in time Keller.”

     The outpost was essentially a cabin turned lab a few hundred miles from anything else considered militarily approved. After primary briefing and the debrief on the new tracking movements throughout the latest recorded location, Carter and Teyla exited into the night, suited up for a hunt. Inside the small space, Sheppard and Ronon went over their inventory as Jennifer flipped through the pages of information on the  “Kranoa” hybrid species. A result of spliced Terran salamander and the more aggressive amphibious creature found a year prior on one of the planets. Apparently, there had been a use seen in the mucus they secreted, which could prevent nausea and minor symptoms of sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, it seemed the creature had a mind of its own and a growth path of its own.  
     But only half her mind was on the file, the other watched her friend and former, former what? Co-worker, acquaintance, friend, person of interest? The last few years had been a roller coaster of successful work and acknowledgment in her field as she began to figure out the workings of alien diseases, paired with a more confusing string of strife as she and Rodney had grown further and further apart. At first, she had thought they were too alike but after two years she realized almost everything they had in common had faded as they changed. It wasn’t a sad goodbye really, more of a mutually awkward ending. So work had become the priority even more than before and she had been given the opportunity to not only travel from base to base but complete three off-world missions that had been a wild success in her opinion. Doctors without borders really took on a whole new meaning.  
     But Jennifer had missed things. Her friends, her temporary home, and even the constant adventure she had once seen as overwhelmingly stressful. She had always had a hard time making friends, she had always been too young, too smart, or too hard working to completely fit with the world around her. Until Atlantis.  
     “I’m just saying, what is that going to do about a four-armed salamander?” Sheppard scoffed at the glowing spear currently in Ronon’s hand. She looked between them in laughed.  
     This. This odd situation in the oddest of places with the most disorientingly kind people who accepted everything that was thrown at them, including an awkward doctor.  
     “Ronon, we need the subject alive.” She said, leaning back in her chair. He looked back at her with a smirk and she knew he was simply winding up Sheppard. Looking at him laugh with Sheppard she wondered if he had thought of her when she was gone. She had of him even when she probably shouldn’t have. At the oddest moments when she was running or trying something new, that smirk would pop into his mind or the way he would quirk his eyebrow at her and ask what the hell she thought she was doing.  
     Jennifer had walked into that bar and without conscious thought, looked to find his deep brown eyes. She had finally got to see them surprised, if only for a moment. Their coms buzzed and an hour later they were in their teams trekking through the dark in the mud. The air was almost as thick as the ground. Sheppard lead with Jennifer behind her and Ronon watching their backs, as the earth moved around them and the hum of bugs surrounded them. Equipment, a team, a mission; it was like moving back in time or looking into a parallel universe, Jennifer thought. The only thing missing was - “DUCK.”  
     They dove.  
     They landed deep in the mud as above them Teyla jumped after a huge morphed thing that made a sickening sound.  
     “Damnit! I need the damn net thing!”  
     Everything was thick and dark as Jennifer scrambled to get clear of the thing. It had landed, hissing and turned swiftly it’s skin slick as a mouth full of needle-like fangs. Behind her she could hear scrambling as they tried to reassemble behind her. Reaching ahead of her, she grabbed the tech latched to Sheppard’s belt. In a swift movement, she didn’t think was capable of in mud she turned and shot at the thing - a net ballooning out to wrap around it.  
     “Clear. It’s down. Clear.”  
Panting as they lay in the mud, Ronon laughed deeply for a moment at the ridiculous sight of the squirming beast, the tense doctor, and John, Carter, and Teyla caked in mud.  
     “You good?” He said finally, looking to Jennifer.  
     “Yeah, all good.”  
     They stood and recollected themselves, carefully bringing the thing to containment in the base. They trekked back through the marsh until they found their way back to the outpost. Carter nudged Jennifer as they walked, smiling at her.  
     “Should have brought you in sooner. Took us months to track it and you’re here one night and we bag it.” Jennifer swayed, nearly delirious with adrenaline.  
     “Didn’t do much.”  
     “Yeah, you only caught the subject and saved us all from poisoning.” Sheppard coughed, rubbing at his quickly bruising side. The sun started to rise when they reached the outpost. They called command and made sure the hybrid was in containment. Carter gave Jennifer the keys to a motel room and the team broke off to shower. She insisted on finishing her paperwork as the others left and she refamiliarized herself with Stargate Command’s system.  
     “Hey. You did good out there.” Jennifer looked up, somehow unsurprised by his presence.  
     “Hi, hey, thank you.” She stood slowly, stretching her neck. “Took a chance I guess.” From out of nowhere he produced a beer and handed it to her.  
     “What’s this?”  
     “Just what the doctor ordered.” She laughed and stripped off her dirt covered outer t-shirt before taking the beer. Ronon tilted his head as he noticed a leather bracelet wrapped around her wrist, with a powder blue shell at its center. She noticed his look.  
     “Didn’t think I would lose it did you?” He smiled, running a hand through his hair.  
     “Nah, thought maybe you might have forgotten about it.”  
     “Nope.” She leaned against the room’s small desk, looking up into his wide face. She didn’t say anything else, choosing to drink instead, watching him instead of filling the silence like she usually did.  
     “I-I should have said goodbye.” He said awkwardly, she looked down into her beer nodding. “I just - I am not great at goodbyes.”  
     “Well, it looks like you didn’t really need to,” Jennifer said looking him in the eye as she shifted against the table.  
     “Still,”  
     “Still. Maybe next time we should just say what’s on our minds.”  
     “Yeah, that.” He was very close. Looking down at her as she straightened toward him. Counterintuitively she wasn’t sure what to say or do but to look at him. The mission, being back, seeing him, it all felt weird and right. Like something she’d been missing. It had taken her years to speak up and do what she wanted instead of waiting for things to happen to her.  
     “Everything okay, you’re kind of staring.”  
     “Yep, mmhm, could you stand still for a second? I need to check something.”  
     “Sure?” He stood perfectly still as she stood on her tiptoes and slowly kissed him. After a moment of adjusting, he unfroze beneath her lips, kissing her back as his hands came to her hips. Pulling back Jennifer caught her breath as she smiled. “Your tests working?”  
     “Yeah, it all checks out.” He laughed, picking her up so she wrapped her legs around him.  
     “Probably should do more field tests.” He laughed. Still covered in mud, he kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thank you so much for reading and giving thoughts. This has been a really lovely experience for me in actually finishing something I set out to do. I hope I did them justice for you as well as myself.  
> So, as it is, that's it all she wrote!


End file.
